Mario Montez

Biography

Mario Montez was a Warhol superstar and member of the New York underground scene in the 1960s and '70s. Born René Rivera in Ponce, Puerto Rico, he took his name as a male homage to actress Maria Montez, an important gay icon in the fifties and sixties. He appeared in thirteen of Andy Warhol's underground films from 1964 to 1966 and was also known for his roles in Jack Smith's Flaming Creatures and Normal Love, as well as Ron Rice's Chumlum.